In the late 90s when we moved to our new apartment in a remote area of Lagos, to me, there was no significant difference because I was born just a few streets away from there. The difference was not far fetched. Where I was born, the constituents were made up of every kind of people you can think of but, alas, the bad boys were also the CSOs. Nothing like that in my new environment.
Gradually, the suburb started competing with the cities then the lifestyle in the neighborhood was fast increasingly degrading or upgrading, that depends on how you perceive it.
Seeing and feeling the changes going on, it was thought to be the development people were craving for and everyone was happy to witness it but unfortunately, the devils from the surrounding cities trooped in and the neighborhood turned to their new world.
At first was the battle between the RELIGIOUS PEOPLE and the BABALÁWOS then the armed robbers came visiting, perhaps, to rob the poor of their poverty. And that was a wrong guess.
Liberalism should be thanked because it successfully settled the fight between the RELIGIOUS PEOPLE and the BABALÁWOS. It brought, and till today, brings little, close to no difference between the warring parties. Although Muslims were still going to mosque for solat especially on Fridays and churches were open for the faithful on Sundays but babaláwos never go on break. In the whole of the neighborhood, the only formally recognized Ìyá Ìsègùn was shamed out of it, when the competition was too hard on her from the Religious People. Or do we have to ask ourselves those placing sacrifices at junctions even after the ouster of the pagan woman? What do we say about the Ládánì who do jalabi for people at his home or pastor a’lábẹ̀ẹ́là Pupa, and of course alfa tí ń tẹ yanrìn?
As if those vices were not enough, The Devil came in. He was given a piece of land to build his Golden House, the house was so fascinating and people couldn’t resist having a second glance. The house was to captivate the minds of the youths but it did far more than expected.
The House is now the choice for holding and hosting everything evil, I never knew we have so many talented musicians, prostitutes, serial fornicators, drunkards, gamblers, just help me complete the list, in our midst. Every weekend is a party and the hoodlums from the surrounding cities grace it,. Don’t bother to imagine the ordeal the constituents are passing through, they’re used to it and wholeheartedly love it.
The mind of our young ones are now contaminated. The boys feel inferior because they couldn’t take as many bottles of alcohol like their peers. The girls are totally fed up of wearing anything called cloth, not even in cold weather. Of course they see their mates roaming the streets naked and no one cares.
Sadly enough, majority love the new order of the situation. The Okada man is having a fatter income and the responsible men in the streets can easily have a glance at what they’ve missed: young and fresh ladies aura.
Alhamdulillah! Prophet Muhammad, sallallähu alaihi wasallam, said “every illness has a cure, and when the proper cure is applied to the disease, it heals by Allah’s will”. The diseases confronting the community raging from the fetish alfas, pastor a’lábẹ̀ẹ́là pupa to the unexpected visitors and the activities from the house of Shaytan, are treatable diseases. THE RADICAL MUSLIMS who vehemently believe solely in their Lord and keep to the right tenets of Islam and some Christians, even though not on a clear cut sojourn, who refused to collabo with the babaláwos and preached fervently against the new trend in the community tried their best but just not enough.
The hope sprung up finally when some alfas from Allaah knows best came in and started telling the truth. It was an eye opener for most of us because everyone can now hear on loud speakers what Allaah says what the Prophet says and how Allaah should be worshipped. More and more people are yielding to the call as the darkness of the ahlu bid’ah and the kuffar is fading away. May Allaah bless and preserve the alfas upon goodness.
The devils are being threatened. The liberal Muslims are at the front row contemplating a fight against the sunnah.
I believe no darkness ever prevailed over Light.
Note: this is not peculiar to the illustrated community.
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